Guest Column: Ive got those (new?) old hardware smiles

My husband and I chuckled over Mike Leifheits blues as he hunted for replacement parts when his cooler compressor broke, and he eventually found a savior at the Rockton Hardware.

I have never spent much time in hardware stores, since the man of the house is chief of repairs. I figured such places were male haunts like Tims favorite hangout in TVs Home Improvement.

But I think I have just become a convert. Yesterday, after taking my list to one of the big-box stores and coming up empty, I wandered into the Edgebrook Ace Hardware and was amazed. Eager salesmen were easy to spot and ready to help. I immediately found two items I had been hunting for: a narrow food scraper that I could purchase by itself; it didnt come with three larger ones in a package. The second discovery was a small lithium battery for my old Pentax cameraa rare find, as few stores carry that size now.

The third item on my list was more elusive: a replacement for an old West Bend electronic clock/timer, just 2-1/2 inches square, and flatjust right for timing a half-hour nap or slipping into a suitcase. The store carried several timers, but they were big and fairly expensive.

This is what I had in mind, I said to the salesman as I showed him the old one. I could still use it if there were some way of keeping the tiny battery from falling out. I tried duct tape, but that didnt work.

The young man took my little timer and disappeared into the back room for a few minutes. When he emergedVoila! The digital screen was working!

And how did this magician solve the problem? When I turned over the timer, I saw a penny held down by clear tape.

That repair job cost me one cent!

You can be sure Ill be going into that store again. Where else can you find live human beings who can direct you right to the section you wantpeople with ingenuity, yet who are willing to find a way to save you money?